NFL: Quarterback position evolves

Super Bowl champ Russell Wilson of Seattle represents the new wave in QBs: those who create plays with their legs.

Little did Russell Wilson’s dad realize that it would help redefine what an NFL franchise quarterback looks like.

"He used to always tell me, ‘Russ, why not you?’ " said Wilson, sitting under a tent in MetLife Stadium minutes after leading the Seattle Seahawks to a blowout victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

"What that meant was even though you’re 5-foot-11, you can go a long way. That’s why I decided to play football. I wanted to go against the odds a little bit."

Wilson beat those odds. And he helped usher in a new breed of NFL quarterback — one that has evolved beyond the time-honored, prototypical, 6-foot-3, white, pocket passer.

And as the NFL Scouting Combine begins Saturday — with projected top 10 picks Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M and Teddy Bridgewater of Louisville attending — the league increasingly has embraced the new model.

"I think the NFL is more open than it’s ever been regarding quarterbacks," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "I think it’s a whole new breed — not just Russell Wilson and his height, but [Robert] Griffin, Cam Newton, all these athletic quarterbacks, [Colin] Kaepernick.

"It’s about making plays. ... Up until a few years ago, [the NFL] kept pushing back. ‘No, we want the big, strong, prototypical pocket guy. Nobody has ever won a Super Bowl outside the pocket.’ All those old sayings are kind of being beaten down."

Two years ago, draft pundits almost universally condemned Wilson’s selection in the third round.

But he became the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl and only the second African-American.

He’s a two-time Pro Bowler. He’s won a record 28 games in his first two NFL seasons.

And now Wilson’s scrambling ability is a treasured asset among pro personnel executives.

His success created opportunities for the 6-foot Manziel and the slim-bodied Bridgewater.

But the NFL has chosen in recent years to mirror the college game, where quarterbacks are accustomed to the shotgun, spread formations and the read option. They are players who can "slide and move in the pocket, and create opportunities by using their legs," Mayock said.

Manziel credited Wilson as a trailblazer who "kicked the door wide open."

"You’re seeing more guys being successful avoiding that first wave of pressure — get out and do things outside the pocket," he told the Houston Chronicle. "The game’s evolving. ... You have to be able to create plays."